Residence in Spain for European retirees
Spain is one of the favourite retirement destinations for European citizens. Costa del Sol, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, the Levante coast. But to legally reside for more than 3 months, you need the EU Citizen Registration Certificate.
As a retiree, your category is "self-sufficient person". It is the one requiring the most documentation of the four categories in RD 240/2007.
Health insurance: the most demanding requirement
You need private health insurance meeting all these conditions:
- Contracted with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain.
- No co-payments of any kind.
- No waiting periods (all coverage active from day one).
- Coverage equivalent to the Spanish public system: primary care, specialists, surgery, hospitalisation, emergencies, diagnostic tests.
- Minimum coverage of €30,000.
- Valid for the entire stay.
Travel insurance does not qualify. Neither do policies with €20-50 co-payments per visit.
Alternative: the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
If your home country continues to pay your healthcare coverage (e.g. with the S1 form for pensioners), you can present the EHIC or S1 form instead of private insurance.
Financial means: how much do I need?
The law does not set an exact minimum for EU citizens. It says you must have "sufficient resources to not become a burden on social assistance". This is deliberately flexible.
In practice, you can prove it with: pension certificates, bank statements, property titles, income documentation, or credit cards with bank certification of available balance.
A pension of €1,000-1,500/month is usually sufficient when accompanied by valid health insurance.
If your documents are in another language, you will need a sworn translation. At Notaría Online we coordinate the translation and review all documentation.